The general thought beyond adult education is the ability to provide education to adults who had not been able to succeed in furthering their higher education after they finished high school. They had now reached twenty-one and were able to determine their own academic future on their own without parental consent. Times have changed today and I think that many adults return back to their undergraduate schools, colleges or even attend trade school classes which all provide pass on further information in the form of a continuing educational program. The immediate reward may be a certificate or diploma depending on how much the individual is willing to invest in his future and may also depend on whether that person finds suitable employment before his studies are terminated.
People should have the attitude of continuing to learn throughout life, this was something that I picked up from Levy Montalcini when she continued to incorporate new methods and approaches into her research on growth hormone. This was something she was known for decades earlier when no one had ever talked about molecular genetic research. Maybe it was her positive approach with much younger research assistants that kept her going. She became a respected member of the international scientific community.
Most people are just satisfied with their first diploma or degree compared to those that go beyond that to receive international acclaim but the key to adult learning in my opinion, should be just being able to improve ones quality of living and seeing the world in a more positive outlook.
Having a plan helps to be able to succeed eventually in business or see that you become a successful artist if business management is not your forte. The plan in itself should take some scrutiny as too many people give this sufficient thought to make their final goals a sincere endeavour, in my mind. This should mean asking yourself questions about how long you are willing to invest in studies, whether you are willing to live the life of a student if you are beyond the scholastic years and whether you are going to put off the good life or self-absorptive activities that would go along with monetary success.